Gophers Swimming: Max McHugh is a NCAA Champion!—AGAIN

*** UPDATE***

McHugh made it two NCAA titles in a row when he won the 200 meter breaststroke Saturday night in a time of 1:49.02!!

McHugh’s two titles are the first in Gopher swimming and diving since PJ Bogart won the three-meter diving event in 1996. It is the first swimming NCAA title in 57 years since Walt Richardson won the 100 butterfly in a time of 50.2 seconds in 1964!

The Minnesota Golden Gophers added to their already impressive haul of individual NCAA Champions in March when junior swimmer Max McHugh took home the 100 meter breaststroke at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina on Friday night. McHugh’s time of 50.18 is the fastest time in Minnesota history!

McHugh set the pace by swimming the fastest preliminary heat Friday morning with a time of 50.87 setting the pool record that he would break eight hours later. He swam the 100 breaststroke six times this season going below 50.9 every single time—the only racer in the nation who can say that.

McHugh improved over his third place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships where he swam a time of 50.52.

His title makes it four individual NCAA Championships for the Gophers in the last eight days. Sarah Bacon won two titles last week, one in the 1 meter spring board diving event, and the other in the 3 meter springboard. Gable Steveson won the NCAA Heavyweight wrestling championship last Saturday, and now McHugh. And he is not done yet either. McHugh will swim in the 200 breaststroke on Saturday where he has the second fastest time in the nation this year and finished second in the country in 2019. Can he make it five championships for the Gophers in nine days? Let’s hope so!